Collapsible attachment



Aug. 30, 1960 R. B. MURDOCK COLLAPSIBLE ATTACHMENT Filed D90. 17, 1957 INYYENTOR. Rn]: er-t E1- Mur' do ck United States Patent COLLAPSBLE ATTACHlVIENT Robert B. Murdock, 2326 N. Washington Blvd, Arlington, Va.

Filed Dec. 17, 1957, Ser. No. 703,466

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-1) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described and claimed herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for govermental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a collapsible attachment adapted to be connected to the leg of a piece of furniture and more particularly to a collapsible ash tray.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a collapsible attachment which when secured to the leg of a piece of furniture may be used to replace a small table or a smoke stand and which when not in use may be conveniently hidden away under the furniture.

An object of my invention is to provide a collapsible attachment comprising a receiver for receiving ashes or for receiving a drinking glass or a drinking cup which is pivotably connected to one end of a collapsible support member, the other end of said support member being pivotably connected to means for securing said attachment to the leg of a piece of furniture.

A specific embodiment of my invention is shown in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 shows a collapsible ash tray of my invention secured to the leg of a chair ready for use.

Figure 2 is a detailed view of the collapsible ash tray shown in Figure 3,

Figure 3 shows in further detail a portion of the collapsible ash tray shown in Figures 1 and 2, and

Figure 4 is a section View taken along section 4-4 of Figure 3.

The same numeral designates the same part throughout the drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, collapsible ash tray 1 is attached to the leg 2 of chair 3 by means of adjustable clamp 4.

Referring to Figure 2, collapsible ash tray 1 consists of bowl shaped ash receiver 5, support means 6 and U clamp 4. Support means 6 consists of telescoping sections 11, 12, and 13 having sutficient friction between sections to support them in elongated position. Section 13 is secured to U clamp 4 by means of ball and socket swivel 14.

Figure 3 shows that bowl shaped ash receiver 5 is connected to section 11 of support means 6 by means of an are shaped clamp 8 which has pivot pins and 16 at its extremities and which is secured at its center to ball 20 of ball and socket swivel 21 by screw 22. Pivot pins 15 and 16 hold bowl shaped ash receiver 5 in such a manner as to permit it to pivot about them. Socket 23 of ball and socket swivel 21 is secured to section 11 of support means 6 by screw 24 (ball and socket swivel 14 is connected to section 13 of support means 6 and U clamp 4 in a similar manner).

U clamp 4, which consists of U shaped frame 40, wing nut 41 and adjustable member 42 is shown in partial section in Figure 4. As seen, turning of wing nut 41 threaded in frame 40, causes adjustable member 42 (one side of which is coated with a soft material 43) to move inwardly or outwardly.

In operation, collapsible ash tray 1 may be secured to the leg 2 of chair 3 by tightening wing nut 41 of U clamp 4 so as to force adjustable member 42 against leg 2. Telescoping sections 11, 12, and 13 may then be extended and collapsible ash receiver 5 is ready for use as shown in Figure 1. When no longer in use, telescoping section 11 and 12 of support means 6 may be collapsed within sections 13 and through use of ball and socket swivels 14 and 21 bowl shaped ash tray 5 and support means 6 may be hidden away under chair 3.

While my collapsible ash tray is shown in the drawing to comprise parts which are held in position by friction, it is obvious that various well known catch mechanisms or key and slot arrangements may be used to lock the parts of my collapsible ash tray into position.

Although my invention has been described primarily as a collapsible ash tray, it is obvious that the bowl shaped ash receiver shown in the drawings may be replaced by a drinking glass receiver, drinking cup receiver, or the like, and that various other changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein above described without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible attachment to be connected to the leg of a piece of furniture, said collapsible attachment comprising a bowl shaped ash receiver, support means, and clamping means adapted to connect said collapsible attachment to the leg of a piece of furniture, said receiver being connected to one end of said support means by a ball and socket swivel and said clamping means being connected to the other end of said support means in such a manner as to permit said clamping means to rotate freely about the end of said support means to which said clamping means is connected such that said receiver and said support means may be rotated beneath said piece of furniture, and said support means comprising telescoping sections adapted to support themselves in eX- tended position whereby said receiver may be maintained at a convenient height or to collapse within the section to which said clamping means is connected.

2. The collapsible attachment described and claimed in claim 1 wherein said bowl shaped ash receiver is connected to said ball of said ball and socket swivel through an are shaped clamp having pivot pins at its extremities and the center of which is connected to said ball, said pivot pins adapted to engage said bowl shaped ash receiver in such a manner as to permit said bowl to pivot about them.

3. The collapsible attachment described and claimed in claim 2 wherein said clamping means is connected to said support means by ball and socket swivel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,408,970 Ayer Mar. 7, 1922 2,019,789 Mahannah Nov. 5, 1935 2,663,764 Holmes Dec. 22, 1953 2,711,872 Lampke June 28, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 493,521 Germany Mar. 10, 1930 678,568 France Jan. 2, 1930 Patented Aug. so, 1960 

